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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26204563">Desert Child</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiXenara/pseuds/YamiXenara'>YamiXenara</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spellwound Order [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Magic, Character Study, Eldritch Horror Anakin Skywalker kind of, Gen, Implications of the bad stuff Slavery tends to have, Magic, Purple Prose, Runes, Shmi Skywalker is Remarkable, Slavery, Star Wars but with Magic instead of the Force, that changes things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:42:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26204563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiXenara/pseuds/YamiXenara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shmi Skywalker wanted a child, and her want and her will held close to her breast, spilled over with the strength of the desert in her blood. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she wanted a child and one day she woke fundamentally changed. </p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because, with naught but the whisper of a prayer, she willed her child into existence within her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker &amp; Shmi Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spellwound Order [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Desert Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable. She was a woman born of the desert, and the desert’s grief sung in her veins. From Tatooine’s sands, she learned how to be cruel; how to strip flesh from bone, and hide in every crevice left uncovered. From Tatooine’s suns, she learned how to shine warm; how to burn so hot it hurt and blinded those who tried to seek her out. The desert filled her to her brim, left tender wounds behind her breastbone, and along her ribs, hollowed out every breath until all she breathed was dust. The desert was power. Something not everyone could touch or hold, a throbbing warmth she cradled close.  The desert was songs on the winds, and vague dreams of want and will, of a child, screaming in the night. The desert was a slave wishing desperately not to be seen, and <i>seeing</i> shapes that had to be drawn. The desert was carving those very runes into willing flesh. The marks scarred white against the sun-stained flesh of her stomach, but with her sacrifice of blood and tears, men’s eyes ran over her like sand on the wind.

Shmi Skywalker was remarkable. She always, conceptually, wanted a child. Not enough to bring one into a world so harsh and filled with pain as hers was. Never enough to willingly condemn them to a life of slavery. But Shmi Skywalker wanted a child someday. She dreamt in abstracts, a creature of her spilling warmth with every smile. She could never imagine a father, just impressions of a man with sparkling blue eyes and hair like sunshine. Perhaps he was handsome, perhaps he was kind, perhaps perhaps perhaps. Shmi Skywalker wanted a child, and her want and her will held close to her breast, spilled over with the strength of the desert in her blood. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she wanted a child and one day she woke fundamentally changed. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because, with naught but the whisper of a prayer, she willed her child into existence within her.</p>
<p>It was a terrifying realization, to wake one day and <i>know</i> life was growing inside your body. Of knowing that the life you created was different and strange and due to be born into an unfair world that would ruin them. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she knew she had to leave Gardulla’s unmerciful gaze before she noticed the child. So, when the Toydarian came to gamble, she caught his gaze with sun burning eyes and <i>willed</i> him. Hours later they left together, Shmi Skywalker still a slave, but freer than she’s ever been before. Watto was kind for a slaver, of course, he was still a slaver and Shmi would always hate him for it, but unlike Gardulla she didn’t fear for her life under him. She was valuable, and skilled, and could make things work that shouldn’t. She was a valuable investment and that made her valuable to him. She was always fed, she had a place to rest, and most importantly she would not be removed from her son. She bore her son in the night and held him in the morn. She cried no tears even amid the pain of childbirth.

Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she taught her son intent. She taught him the price of <i>will</i> and the power that ran through their veins. How to shape dreams into reality, and how to be kind for nothing in return. </p>
<p>
  <i>“Intent Ani is what separates the skies from the sands. Our power could hurt so many if we let it. The intent is what divides the calculated cruelty of the Masters’ from the natural ferocity of Krayt Dragons. Never let your intent be cruel, or your <b>will</b> be of hatred and revenge. Never let your gift become sickened with jealousy or possession. We are all children of the desert Ani, we come from there, and when we die we will return to its sands.”</i>
</p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because, despite how much it wounded her to do so, she held her son close as she carved marks borne of love into the skin above his heart. She crooned songs sung by mothers before her as he cried in her arms and became so much smaller than he was. She knew that he was a Greater Krayt Dragon in human form, a spirit of the sands, a child of the suns. She watched him dance in the desert, leaving footprints of glass beneath his feet with every step. He glowed like a wild thing, could raze Tatooine to the ground if she let him. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she had a weapon of infinite power at her command, a creature with the strength of gods who looked at her with white-gold eyes and smiled with many sharp teeth, and she tucked him into bed every night and pressed kisses to his brow. Shmi Skywalker was remarkable for a much as she wanted to watch the Masters burn, she would never let her son fall, would never tarnish the light he brought to her life.</p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable for when her son told her he was going to build a door to <i>otherwhere</i> she believed him. She helped him pick sheets of metal and panels of wood large enough to walk through. Helped him carve marks into their surfaces, filling every inch of space with something that hummed so deeply her teeth and heart ached in reply. Door by door she helped him place in a frame, and one by one they opened them together. None of the doors they’ve made yet went anywhere but their other side, but she knew one day a door would open that’d take them away.</p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because she knew how to let go. She mourned their goodbye, but she thanked their parting. With the memory of a last kiss to his forehead, she watched her son leave for the stars. </p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable because the second her son left, she <i>willed</i> for her freedom. </p>
<p>
  <i>Cliegg Lars was a simple man of simple tastes. He wasn’t incredibly handsome or exceptionally skilled, but he was hardworking and kind. He tells Shmi later after he’d freed her, that it was love at first sight. Shmi always wondered if it was true love or her compulsion. She was aware enough of her own failures to know she didn’t care enough to ask.</i>
</p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable, for years later while traveling to Anchorhead she was attacked by Tuskan Raiders and taken to their camp. </p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable for 3 days later she walked head held high, away from the ruins she left behind, a desert’s rage burning the night sky around her as she left bodies trailing in her wake.</p>
<p>Shmi Skywalker was remarkable, for when she fell, she fell with grace. For the memory of her son, she freed the slaves from their chains; a revolution born in the soft glow of the rising suns. For the memory of who she once was, she watched silently as the Masters <i><b>burned</b></i> in the coming twilight. Tatooine belonged to the children of the desert, and for the first time in eons, the desert sang not in grief but in joy. Tatooine belonged to the children of the desert and Shmi Skywalker was remarkable, for she was a child of the desert, and all it was sung in her veins.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Betcha didn't see that coming. They met on Tatooine was setting this up, and it was posting this or smut and I went with character development over pwp. </p>
<p>Pretty/Cute (said pwp) will be put on hold for a bit while I start sketching out plot arcs and maybe some multi-chapter bits. I have another story detailing what happened to Qui-Gon, and a story developing the Order and (Jedi). We'll see when I get it all out!</p>
<p>Comment if you have feedback or really just to compliment - I don't mind. Kudo if you really enjoy it! And if you've read this, you'll likely enjoy some of my other stuff!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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